On Monday afternoon, seven keyholders gathered inside St. Vitus Cathedral to open the Crown Chamber and retrieve the Czech coronation jewels, according to official reports. The Svatováclavská koruna (St. Wenceslas Crown), along with the scepter and orb used in the coronations of Czech kings, will be exhibited to the public starting Tuesday in the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle. School groups will view the items during the first four days, while the general public can visit the exhibition from Saturday, September 19, through Monday, September 28.
Access to the Crown Chamber requires all seven designated state, church, and municipal officials to be present. According to the Office of the President, these keyholders include the president, prime minister, heads of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, the Archbishop of Prague, the Mayor of Prague, and the dean of the Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus. Petr Chotěbor, head of the specialized monument care department at the Office of the President, noted that the timing of the retrieval is coordinated well in advance. Dozens of visitors waited behind barriers outside the St. Wenceslas Chapel to catch a glimpse of the half-hour ceremony, capturing photos from a distance.
Ceremony and Security Protocols at St. Vitus Cathedral
Ahead of the retrieval, security measures kept the cathedral closed to the general public throughout Monday. Chotěbor explained that the morning closure allowed staff to prepare furniture inside the St. Wenceslas Chapel, set up a designated media area, and ready paperwork for the protocol signatures. Once gathered, the keyholders unlocked seven separate locks on the door leading to the spiral staircase of the Crown Chamber. Carrying their keys, they opened the chamber’s secure safe, and members of the monument care department retrieved the jewel cases and the cushion placed beneath the crown.
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The items were brought down the stairs and placed upon the St. Wenceslas tomb inside the chapel for verification. Keyholders checked the contents to ensure their presence, proper condition, and authenticity before signing the official retrieval protocol. Following this initial inspection, the Hradní stráž (Castle Guard) carried the boxed items to the Vladislav Hall amid the sound of ringing cathedral bells. There, specialists conducted a restoration review, photographic documentation, and checks before placing the regalia into a permanent display vitrine.
Did You Know? The historical timeline of the coronation jewels includes a period before World War II when they were briefly hidden in September and October 1938 inside the Žilina building of the Czechoslovak National Bank, before President Edvard Beneš signed an order on October 5 for their return to Prague.
Exhibition Details and the Habsburg 500 Theme
This year’s exhibition runs under the subtitle “Habsburgs 500,” introducing visitors to the history of the regalia from the accession of Ferdinand I of Habsburg to the Czech throne in 1526 through the end of the 18th century. In 1791, the items returned permanently to Prague Castle at the request of the country’s land assemblies, establishing them as permanent symbols of Czech statehood and national identity. President Petr Pavel decided two years ago that the regalia would be exhibited on an annual basis, drawing visitors in the autumn of 2024 and tens of thousands of visitors last year. The exhibition is free of charge and remains open daily from 9:00 to 17:00.
Alongside the crown, scepter, and orb, the display features the 1653 coronation robe and items connected to the administration and protection of the collection. These include historical keys once used by guardians of the crown archive to secure the double doors near the St. Wenceslas Chapel. Kubín explained that the item belongs to St. Wenceslas as an eternal ruler, symbolizing that the state lives on beyond the mortal life of any individual king. While Charles IV commissioned the crown for his own coronation, the medieval scepter and orb currently stay in Vienna, meaning the Prague display pairs the original crown with older Habsburg-era items alongside the coronation mantle, ceremonial sword, and reliquary cross.
Historical Movements and Past Exhibitions
The physical location of the crown jewels shifted frequently over the centuries. Emperor Charles IV originally directed that the St. Wenceslas Crown rest upon the skull of St. Wenceslas inside the cathedral, to be lifted only for coronations or specific Prague-area ceremonies. By the late 14th century, the regalia moved to Karlštejn Castle. King Sigismund of Luxembourg transported them to Hungary after the outbreak of the Hussite wars, and they returned to Karlštejn in 1436. From the 17th century onward, the items resided largely in Vienna, returning to Prague exclusively for royal coronations until their permanent 1791 relocation.
Public exhibition traditions began during the First Republic, marked by an initial 1929 display commemorating the millennium of St. Wenceslas’s death. Subsequent displays took place after World War II in 1945, twice during the 1950s, during the pivotal year of 1968, and throughout the normalization era. Presidents Václav Havel and Václav Klaus each authorized two exhibitions, while Miloš Zemán oversaw four. The jewels last served their active ceremonial purpose on September 7, 1836, during the inauguration of Ferdinand the Good, as neither his successor Franz Joseph I nor the final Austrian emperor Charles I received formal Czech coronations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is authorized to open the Crown Chamber?
Opening the chamber requires seven specific keyholders: the president, the prime minister, the heads of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, the Archbishop of Prague, the Mayor of Prague, and the dean of the Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus.
When can the public view the exhibition?
Following four days reserved for school groups, the exhibition opens to the general public on Saturday, September 19, and runs through Monday, September 28, operating daily from 9:00 to 17:00 with free admission.
What items are included in the display?
The exhibition features the St. Wenceslas Crown, the royal scepter, the royal orb, the 1653 coronation robe, and historical keys related to the protection of the crown archive.
What aspects of the historical royal collection interest you the most for public display?
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